Menu

Animal experiments indicate there are some promising potential treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. While there’s no true cure for ALS yet, some of these experiments show that new compounds and natural substances can treat symptoms and extend lifespan.

Cell transplants, including stem cell transplants, have shown some success in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis symptoms in lab animal experiments. There are even a few human experiments that have slowed the progression of the disease somewhat.

Chimerization of astroglial population in the lumbar spinal cord after mesenchymal stem cell transplantation prolongs survival in a rat model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19267424

Research on self compassion shows it’s much more effective than self-esteem. It’s even more powerful than mindfulness. This is an example of a self compassion meditation exercise:

1. Begin focusing on your breathing.

2. Begin to slow down your breathing by extending the duration of inhalation and exhalation.

3. Think of the idea that making mistakes in life is natural. Even people who seem to have it all still make mistakes.

4. Think of how humanity is united by people pursuing similar goals in life and having similar emotions.

5. Express compassion towards yourself in the same way you would express compassion towards a close friend or someone you love and care for. If you don’t have anyone like that in your life, imagine what those feelings might feel like directed towards yourself.

For the last month I’ve been eating mostly dark chocolate, kefir, whey, chicken, berries, and sometimes green tea. The dark chocolate and green tea acted as prebiotics. The kefir had twelve different strains of probiotic bacteria in it. The whey and berries have shown success in intestinal repair in experiments. The chicken was a neutral source of protein.

I still have more fat to lose but I’m beginning to feel like a svelte jungle cat. This high protein diet of kefir and chicken has helped reduce my appetite. Having a specific list of foods to eat has helped prevent food binges. I’m not eating four hamburger patties with cheese and following that up with a big bag of corn chips like I used to do. This eating plan has reduced my intake of calories, carbohydrates, and omega-6 fats. A study involving mice shows that eating probiotics can lead to a “glow of health” and better appearance, even in aged animals. This alone is a good reason to keep eating fermented foods.

2. Does this reduce digestive pain?

Eating dark chocolate in the morning makes me feel queasy. On the plus side, that helps me suppress my appetite. The downside is that nausea doesn’t feel very enjoyable. I only eat it in the morning because I don’t want it to keep me awake or cause acid reflux at night. This is a high protein / moderate carb / low fat diet overall and I’ve noticed less digestive pain than when I was eating a high fat diet. A high intake of dietary fat is associated with dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux, or irritable bowel symptoms in some people with gastrointestinal problems. I wonder if meditating before and after mealtimes could reduce stress-related digestive problems, especially when eating meals high in fat.

3. Does this reduce psychological stress?

The brain-gut axis is involved in stress responses, but I feel like I still need pharmaceuticals to treat fear and anxiety. The microbiome may impact the GABA system in the brain, but in my experience changing the microbiome isn’t as fast or as effective as using benzodiazepines for treating anxiety. Food can affect mood. Every diet ranging from carnivorous to vegan has testimonials from people who claim a particular diet cured their depression or anxiety. Maybe it worked for them, but those people need to realize that diet alone may not be enough to fully treat patients with emotional problems and functional abdominal pain dating back to childhood, even though it may be helpful in reducing some symptoms.

I had some cheat meals that I regretted that may have negatively impacted this experiment. This experiment would have been easier to do if my life had less stress, instead of living in fear every day like I do. The microbiome may have more powerful effects on the brain during development and probiotics may be less effective in reducing anxiety once a person reaches adulthood, but that’s just my hypothesis.

4. Does this maintain strength?

The high level of protein and sufficient carbs are effective for maintaining strength and energy. I had the same amount of strength when lifting weights in the gym as I did on my previous high fat high carb diet. Protein is also helpful for redistributing body composition away from body fat and towards muscle.

The following metrics would be useful to measure if anyone wants to conduct a formal clinical study involving multiple participants:

1. Accurate measurement of body composition before and after the experiment

These studies estimate heritability of body mass index and obesity. These findings come from multiple studies, including twin studies. They estimate the variation in a trait attributable to genetic factors (as opposed to shared environmental or unique environmental factors). These heritability estimates for body mass index are very high. There’s still no such thing as free will. Choice doesn’t exist and people aren’t responsible for their actions.